Review: Maybelline's 100th birthday collection.

To celebrate Maybelline's 100th birthday in May, the beauty brand has released a series of thirteen new products to honour a century of 'fearless femmes'. Focusing heavily on bold brows, glitzy eyes and hyper-feminine lipsticks, these new products are all about embracing the best looks of this decade. Maybelline was kind enough to send us some of their upcoming products to try out - and they're all amazing! Check out our thoughts below…

'LASH SENSATIONAL' MASCARA - RRP $23.99
With a curved brush to give a full-fanning distribution, this mascara managed to reach every one of my eyelashes in one swipe, which is impressive since my eyelashes are pretty weirdly dispersed. Not only did it give my lashes some intense volume, it also did a fantastic job of separating each lash for a fuller effect. It's not too heavy and, most importantly of all, it doesn't clump at all! The amazing thing about this mascara is that it gives you high-end results for a fraction of the price.

'FIT ME' MATTE + PORELESS FOUNDATION RRP $22.99
Pores are the absolute bane of my existence. I seem to go through endless bottles of skin products that make my pores look bigger and oilier, which is the complete opposite of what I look for in a foundation. The Maybelline 'Fit Me' Matte + Poreless foundation has answered all my prayers, luckily. Matte foundations are really popular right now, and I can definitely see why. This foundation minimises the appearance of pores using blurring micro-powders that absorb oil for an airbrushed looking result. I'd recommend applying with a flat-top foundation brush, then finishing off with a beauty blender or sponge for a seamless looking complexion.

EYE STUDIO 'COLOR MOLTEN' EYESHADOW - RRP $13.99

'NUDE RUSH' - The first word that comes to mind when using these 'Color Molten' eyeshadows is 'silky'. The texture of the powder is ultra smooth and glides on like a dream, leaving a gorgeous shimmer on the eyelids. 'Nude Rush' is perfect for a more natural look with a hint of glamour, combining a soft pale pink with a slightly more intense fawn. This duo is the perfect combo to vamp up your everyday look. 

'MIDNIGHT MORPH' - This duo is the quintessential black and white duo - a dark glitzy shade to add drama, and a softer off-white shade to feather out the darkness. While the colours in 'Nude Rush' had great payoff, I found that the darker shades were a bit lower in saturation, leaving more of a subtle lustre than an intense colour. Still, these colours are great for a more subtle take on the smokey eye. 

'PLUM FUSION' - Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for a good dark purple eye. 'Plum Fusion' is exactly that, with a silvery-mauve on one side and a deep eggplant-esque shade on the other. I found that the powder itself is quite crumbly, but (eventually) I discovered it's still easy to apply if you use your finger in place of a brush, and lay down a decent eyeshadow primer first.

EYE STUDIO 'BROW DRAMA' SCULPTING EYEBROW MASCARA - RRP $14.99
Eyebrow mascaras are not usually something I'd incorporate into my daily routine, but these Maybelline ones are pretty effective. I tried out both 'Transparent' and 'Medium Brown', with the first leaving my eyebrows with a slick, wet look, and the latter filling in my brows like a dream. The brushes on these mascaras have a sculpting ball brush for extra precision so you don't end up with heavy clumps of gel through you're brows. If you want bold, daring brows à la Cara Delevingne make this product your go-to.

EYE STUDIO 'BROW PRECISE' - RRP $18.99
I've already given my thoughts on this product in our Eyebrow Beauty Bag review, where I mentioned that this pencil was ah-mazing, but somewhat difficult to sharpen. Now, Maybelline has come to the rescue and released a version of 'Brow Precise' that is wooden - and therefore easily sharpened! I'm genuinely over the moon about this, 'cus this pencil is a lifesaver!

'BROW SATIN' PENCIL AND FILLING POWDER IN 'DARK BLONDE' - RRP $14.99
This brow pencil blew my mind - and I don't say that about a lot of makeup products. At first glance, it seems like your average twist-up pencil, but on the other end is a filling powder. With it's soft, spongy texture, the filling end of this product is akin to a pencil eraser, except it does the opposite. A few gentle swipes helps blend your filled-in brows together, creating a seamless look. Amazing!

COLOR SENSATIONAL 'REBEL BLOOM' LIPSTICK  - RRP $19.99

'BARELY BLOOMED' - I'm not usually a fan of lightly-coloured lipsticks, but for peachy colours I make an exception. 'Barely Bloomed' is a soft cantaloupe orange with a subtle sheen. While lighter shades don't really suit my olive skin tone, I found that this lipstick actually looked good. It's not a a 'natural' shade, but it definitely a pretty option for more toned-down looks.

'LILAC FLUSH' - I am so in love with this lipstick. I'm always drawn to pinky-purples, and this lilac ticks all my boxes. It's got great colour payoff, the coverage is almost perfect, and it has a subtle gloss finish for a super feminine look.

'ORCHID ECSTASY' - This lipstick is the bright berry shade of the collection, which is always a popular pick. The colour saturation isn't as heavy as I'd have liked (the above swatch took two coats to achieve that shade), but this lipstick does boast longevity long after it's first applied. Overall, if you're looking for something a bit more intense, this might not be the product for you, but then again, these are not matte lipsticks, and their beauty is in their bright shades and shiny finishes. 

All these products (and more) will be available from Maybelline stockists from July onwards.